HC Deb 14 October 2002 vol 390 c497W
Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the OJEC advertisements were placed for the south-west regional procurement process for NHS IT. [73122]

Ms Blears

The advertisement for the south-west regional information technology procurement was placed in February 2000.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the south-west regional procurement process for NHS IT was initiated. [73123]

Ms Blears

The formal initiation of the south-west procurement project took place in December 1999.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent evaluation has been made of the single procurement process for electronic patient record systems for NHS trusts in the south-west; and if he will make a statement. [73124]

Ms Blears

In early 2002 a review of the south-west project was carried out by a team from the National Health Service information authority. The review used the approach recommended by the Office of Government Commerce in its gateway review process.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many trusts in the south-west have signed contracts with a minimum value of £1 million for hospital-wide electronic patient record systems through the southwest regional procurement process for NHS IT; and how many contracts of this minimum value are expected to be signed in the next three months. [73125]

Ms Blears

No trust involved in the south-west regional procurement has yet signed a contract for hospital-wide electronic patients' record systems. It is expected that the two consortia in the regional procurement process will award contracts by March 2003. At this point, over 20 trusts will sign contracts in excess of £1 million.

Mr. Ruffley

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of financial savings that have been achieved since the commencement of the single procurement process for NHS IT in the south-west; and what his next estimate is of future savings for the currrent and five financial years. [73128]

Ms Blears

The south-west project estimates that the savings gained through the shared procurement process will be excess of £1 million. At this stage it is too early to estimate the savings in the resulting contracts, but it is anticipated that these savings will be significant.